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Greg McLean (Wolf Creek) is at it again with "Rogue", the Australian crocodile shocker that blows "Lake Placid", "Deep Blue Sea", the rather dismal "Primeval" and the seemingly endless spew of recent shock factor creature features right out of the water. In league with the other recent Australian "Black Water", although the two thrillers can't be compared based on quality, this is a white knuckle suspense ride that sinks its teeth in and doesn't let go.

Michael Vartan (Monster in Law) is a journalist from Chicago who takes a crocodile boating tour through an enormous and beautiful gorge in Northern Territory, Australia. Rhada Mitchell (Pitch Black, Silent Hill) is the native tour leader, and all is well with the group until they spot a distress flare miles up the river in an area that is generally not traveled. After taking a detour in response to the flare, the group finds themselves isolated on a tiny island in the middle of a swamp when a very territorial crocodile attacks the boat.

For one, the tension is nearly unbearable from this point on. Much in the vein of "The Descent", once the action sets in it's nonstop, but fortunately the movie doesn't resort to a run of the mill by the numbers formula, rather, it is unpredictable and realistic as the group ponders how they can get across the rising tidal river in time before they are completely submerged. Once the fact that the crocodile has "tagged" them is established, which is explained as them being his targeted food supply, the group becomes panicked and all hell breaks loose.

The crocodile is simply incredible. I'm pretty sure it is mostly CG but don't let that fool you, it looks and acts very natural, which adds to the realism and terror of the movie. The pacing is quick but our characters are fleshed out well enough that we genuinely care about them, and it's all the more horrifying during the croc attacks, which are for the most part unpredictable, save for the rather anti climactic but still satisfying finish. The movie doesn't transcend the genre but it's the best offering in the crocodile sub genre, and it definitely outranks "Wolf Creek" by a long shot. The cinematography is simply stunning and the atmosphere is quite eerie. I definitely recommend "Rogue" and I'll have to keep an eye out for McLean's next work.

You're certainly not supposed to feel happy or satisfied with this film, because of the disturbing subject material. But what exactly is the point? Character development, and it's strong here under Jamie Babbit's direction.

The seemingly simple execution of the film is interesting, because the story that unfolds is anything but simple. Sex, lies, murder, desperation and jealousy are abound in this drama.

Elisha Cuthbert is pitch perfect as Nina, a bitchy and spoiled girl in her senior year at high school. Nina's life is turned upside down when Dot arrives (Camilla Belle, who is always great) to stay with the family after her father dies in a freak accident. Dot is deaf and mute, so Nina looks toward her with disdain and treats her badly in front of her equally snobby friends.

Not only is Nina a bitch, but she has some nasty secrets that she begins to confide in Dot. In fact, everybody does, and it soon becomes clear that the picture perfect family Dot has moved into is anything but perfect, and Dot certainly has some secrets of her own. It's obvious from the beginning that Dot isn't really deaf, and Nina catches on pretty quickly. Soon after she reveals a major plot twist, Nina befriends Dot in a way and they develop a stranger relationship. There's so much more back story that I don't want to beat it into the ground, instead the viewer should enjoy the juicy material.

But be warned, this is not a movie for everybody. Much of the major storyline involves disturbing sexual content that definitely certain people can not find appropriate or watchable. And overall, the movie is quite dark; every character is really messed up and there isn't a trace of happiness or resolution, only a great buildup and a somewhat strange climax. The story certainly wraps itself up, and the cinematography and editing is beautiful, along with all of the performances involved, including Edie Falco as the pill popping mother and Martin Donovan as the seemingly sweet father. No character is without issues or an explosive outcome in this little surprise hit that kept me on the edge of my seat and thinking long afterward "Man, I'm glad I'm not that messed up."

Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has been raised in Africa by her zoologist parents. But all of a sudden she is whisked away from Africa and ends up in a Northeastern high school in the US when her mother accepts a position at a university. As soon as our sweet and innocent heroine is thrown into the social mix, she crosses paths with Regina (Rachel McAdams) and soon after all hell breaks loose.

As Cady is quickly transformed into one of the "Plastics", a group of the most popular and prettiest (not to mention wealthiest) girls in school, she falls for Regina the queen bee's ex boyfriend, which turns out to be a major no-no and soon she is at war with Regina. Among the rest of the cast are several "Saturday Night Live" patrons including Amy Poehler in a sidesplitting and scene-stealing role as Regina's mom, plus Ana Gasteyer as Cady's paranoid mother and Tim Meadows as the principal obsessed with SNL's Tina Fey, who plays a teacher and also wrote the script.

Under the direction of Mark Waters ("Freaky Friday"), "Mean Girls" is sassy, smart and it keeps the jokes coming steadily. The movie never falters on the hilarity front and all of the performances, especially McAdams, are top notch. Lohan is a tiny bit dull but she doesn't waver and she carries the movie strongly on her shoulders. This is probably her signature performance to date. The movie is a long laugh and it pokes fun at all of the ridiculous teen movie clichés and stereotypes, and it manages to transcend them and come off as truly original, fresh and upbeat.